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Access to Original Birth Certificates in Illinois
for Adopted or Surrendered Persons
An adopted or surrendered person born in Illinois prior to January 1, 1946, has an unqualified right of access, upon request, to an unaltered, non-certified copy of his or her original birth certificate.
Beginning November 15, 2011, an adopted or surrendered person born in Illinois on or after January 1, 1946, and age 21 or over, can request a non-certified copy of his/her original birth certificate. However, this request is subject to the right of a birth parent to block disclosure of his/her identifying information contained in the original birth certificate. If a birth parent files a nondisclosure request prior to the person filing a request for birth certificate copy, then identifying-information of the birth parent will be redacted from the issued copy.
In addition to the adopted or surrendered person, others can request a copy of the person's birth certificate. For detailed information on who may apply, forms to use, and steps of this process, see Illinois Department of Public Health web pages at:
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